Chase customer loses $200k trying to ‘protect her account’ – bank couldn’t stop multiple transactions from going through
AN unsuspecting account holder is out $200,000 after she was scammed into transferring her money to someone she thought was a bank employee.
Rachel Chen stands accused of running a sick scheme she pretended to work for Chase Bank before stealing people’s life savings.
The victim said they were told by a person claiming to be from Chase Bank to transfer moneyAlamy
Earlier this year, the hacker once again contacted the victim demanding more moneyGetty
According to the police, an unidentified victim received a message from Microsoft that said her computer was infected with a virus.
The message declared that the user’s financial information was at risk, ABC affiliate WMUR reported in December 2023.
The victim then received a phone call from a person who claimed to represent Chase Bank, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office said.
The caller instructed the victim to place the money in an alternative account to protect it.
According to the authorities, the victim gave the person over $200,000 earlier this year.
In March 2024, the victim revealed that an alleged courier for the bank once again contacted them stating they needed an additional $22,000 to be hand-delivered in a box.
Now suspicious about the scam, the victim contacted the Allenstown police who set up a sting operation.
When Chen, 25, arrived at the victim’s home on March 14, she was given the planted box and was later arrested.
The U.S. Sun contacted Chase Bank for comment.
A quick search of the suspect’s phone led police to possibly connect Chen with another scam that took place in the neighboring town of Nashua.
Much like the other victim, authorities stated that the 75-year-old woman was contacted by a party posing as Microsoft claiming her financials had been compromised.
Again, the third party identified itself as a courier for the victim’s bank and asked for $20,000 in cash inside of a sealed box.
This time, however, the victim was told that a member of the FBI would be coming to her home to collect the money.
Phone scam statistics
Americans are bombarded with three billion spam phone calls a month. What are the figures regarding the number of victims and the amount of money lost to fraudsters
In 2022, Americans lost some $39.5 billion to phone scams, with 68.4 million US citizens affected, according to TechReport.
The average phone scam victim lost $567.41 each in 2021, a major rise on the 2021 figure of $182 per victim, according to Hiya.
The majority of scams happen over the phone, with fraudsters twice as likely to call compared to text in 2021, as reports the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In 2021, the US saw a 56% increase in spam phone calls with 60% of those being robocalls.
US residents experienced an average of 18 spam phone calls per month, although some experts believe the true figure may be as high as 31 per month.
Many phone calls from reputable businesses may be marked wrongly as spam, but 38% of companies have no idea whether they’re being marked as “potential fraud” or not, according to Hiya.
Never hand over any personal or financial information if you suspect a phone call is a scam. For instance, your bank will never ask you for such details in full over the phone.
To cut down on spam phone calls and scams, sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. Telemarketers, by law, will need to check that list before they call you up.
Downloading third-party apps such as Hiya, Nomorobo, or Truecaller can help filter out annoying spam calls.
Try not to share your phone number unless you have to, especially online or with sketchy sources.
Authorities state that they believe Chen posed as the “agent” and managed to run off with the stolen cash.
Since being detained, Chen has been hit by a slew of charges.
Many of those include multiple counts of conspiracy to commit theft by deception and accomplice to commit theft by deception.
The Attorney General’s office is still actively investigating both scam incidents.
Local authorities have reportedly told the public to contact them if they believe they have been scammed.
Members of the general public have also been advised to contact their local computer service business if they believe their devices have been infected with viruses.
Chen is scheduled to appear at the Merrimack County Superior Courthouse on June 20, 2024.
According to the authorities, the victim gave the person over $200,000 earlier this yearAlamy
A quick search of the suspect’s phone led police to possibly connect Chen with another scam that took place in the neighboring town of Nashua.Getty
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